Sunday, October 19, 2014

What's that coming over the hill? Is it winter?


A little over a week ago I found myself in Aviemore. Not many of you will be familiar with this place. It is what can be best described as Scotland's quintessential ski town. It's not massive, but it has that outdoor vibe and a view of the mountains. While I was there I woke to a rather cloudy sky, which obscured the peaks. I went outside to go to work and I could feel a distinct nip in the air. Not long into the morning, I got a text telling me that the first snowfall of the season had fallen that night. Over the day, as the clouds broke up, I got glimpses of a few snowy topped mountains, bringing me the giddy feeling that winter is taking hold. Low and behold, four days later, the Kashmir valley sees its first snowfall for the 2015 season. Is it fate that the two places I call home, get Ullr's first touch within a week of each other? I don't know and I'm not one to spend too much time pondering the interconnectedness of the situation. All I know is it has started. While the southern Hemisphere winter is winding down, we in the North are just starting to don some extra layers.

Soon Mt Affarwat will be dressed in white! ^^click to enlarge^^
This season will be the 5th year the Di5 Adventures crew will have had a presence in Gulmarg. Half a decade of shredding the Himalayas. Not bad! I'll have spent more time as a snowboarder in Gulmarg than I will have anywhere else in the world, which I am certainly not going to complain about. As we approach this coming season we do so with heavier hearts than normal. The reason being the recent flooding that has decimated much of Kashmir. Mother nature has no time for borders and the storms of September flooded both the Indian and Pakistan sides of Kashmir. The capital city of Srinagar, on the Indian side, which when visiting Gulmarg you have to pass through, saw buildings collapse and entire families lose their homes. Out in the countryside, the farming industry has been literally washed away. With this being the staple of many a Kashmiri income and little work available to them in winter, our thoughts have been with them. (we have been trying to identify the best path for people wishing to donate and help ease the situation for those most affected)

The Di5 Team:
Omar Hajam, Director of Mountain Operations.
Andy Turland, Managing Director
Sandy Norval, European Correspondent.

So it would be unfair for me to harp on about the awesomeness of winter and what epic adventures we can expect this season, without recognising it's going to be very tough for many families. We understand that our business makes us part of families in Kashmir and creates an opportunity for us to help those less fortunate. As the season grows closer, the snow depths increase and the devastation gets blanketed white, we must not forget to offer help where we can. This season will see the Di5 family grow too. We've got new faces coming out to experience the joys of a Gulmarg winter. Please don't think that our stoke levels aren't up there and this season will somehow be less of a party than before. Remember; it's our 5 year anniversary!

We're going on adventures, we'll be bringing you all the hype, the Himalayan Banked Slalom is growing and going to be back. We have hundreds of lines to go and explore and you're coming on the journey with us. We are pumped, life is good, the snow is falling and tickets are booked. All that being said we'll be doing our best to spread the love throughout the valley and seeing what we can do to help. Let's come together as shredders of the world and be the best dysfunctional family we can. Let us not bicker in the lift line, like petulant siblings, let us put differences aside and have fun together, let us support each other in bringing out the best of our winter, wherever it may be!

Remember, it's never too late to come out and celebrate the 2015 season in Gulmarg. Just head to our website www.di5adventures.net and get in touch. We've got packages to suit all budgets and as a company we are actively involved in investing directly back into Kashmir.